ARRIVAL OF THE JOHN KNOX WITH THE EUROPEAN TELEGRAMS VIA SUEZ.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 164, 18 April 1872, Page 3

ARRIVAL OF THE JOHN KNOX WITH THE EUROPEAN TELEGRAMS VIA SUEZ.

ATTACK ON THE QUEEN.

QUEEN VICTORIA’S LIFE • THREATENED. THE WOULD BE ASSASSIN ARRESTED. Lyttelton, 10.10 a.m. Wellington, 11.5 a.m. The John Knox lias anived bringing the Suez telegrams. The mail steamer arrived at Glenelg at 2 p.m. on the Gib April. The passage to King George’s Sound occupied one hundred hours. The Bangalore was to sail for Melbourne. London, Feb. 23. The Prince of Wales returned thanks for the national sympathy, expressing his gratitude to God for his recovery. At Buckingham Palace a man named George Arthur O’Connor attacked the Queen. He presented a loaded pistol and a petition asking for the release of the Fenian prisoners. The attendants overpowered him. The Queen was quite unmoved. He had no accomplices, and was committed. The public excitement was promptly allayed. The Australian January mail, via Brindisi, was delivered in London on the 19th. At the dinner to Verdon (late AgentGeneral for Victoria), the Duke of Edinburgh referred pleasantly to experiences in visiting the British dependencies. Lord Kimberly spoke of the vast difficulties of so vast an empire, but deprecated any policy calculated to produce unfriendly severance. The South Sea Islands Slave Trade Bill has passed. The Bill constitutes kidnapping felony. The Australian Courts are empowered to try cases. The Australian Squadron is to be strengthened. The United States claims for indirect damages have aroused universal indignation, every one believing that the negotiations had distinctly waived indirect claims. Their revival was at first regarded as a piece of attorney’s sharp practice ; a further scrutiny of the treaty and protocol shows that these claims were (query? not) expressly excluded. The Americans profited by some ambiguity and r«-f seel to withdraw indirect claims from the arbitration. England is taunted with cowardice before Imperial tribunal, fearing being mulcted in a few hundred millions damages. The indignation at the Yankee cunning is qualified by mortification at the stupidity of the English lawyers. The European opinion favours Great Britain. The German Press has pronounced the American claims outrageous, declaring the right of Geribans to claims for similar reparation from America for assistance to France. A German legislator lias moved an inquiry into the matter. One of the sharpest American lawyers has arrived in Paris ready for the general pleadings. Sir Samuel Baker is forcing his way through almost impassable difficulties in Africa. A letter from him has been published. A false report lias been circulated to the effect that Canada bad determined to declare separation from Britain immedi-

ately tbe news of hostilities with the United States should arrive. Diamonds continue to arrive from the Cape. Lynch law prevails at the diggings. A dreadful murder has been committed at Lambeth by an American surgeon, the cause of which crime is incomprehensible. A Mission Memorial Fund has been proposed by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. The British Government has not yet formally recognised the Fiji Government. The Brazilian Government is making great efforts to open the country. All the career of the Tichborne claimant has been traced, except six months in 1859, when he disappeared as Arthur Orton, and reappeared as Castro. Great surprise is expressed that Sergeant Ballantyne did not throw up the case. Lowe has ordered the Bank to exchange new silver for old; the mint to coin night and day to relieve scarcity of silver coin. There is great excitement at Woolwich Arsenal in the manufactories ot heavy cannon. Kelly has been acquitted of murdering Talbot, and sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for shooting another policeman. The American Government expresses a determination to have indirect claims sub mitted to arbitration. The Standard interprets Kimberley’s speech as an invitation to New. South Wales to annex Fiji, and encourages its becoming independent as an evasion. (Query ?) Two thousand cases of condemned Australian meat have been seized.